Technical Abstract:
Beneficial use of industrial byproducts is an environmentally sound option. In Minnesota, gasification of alfalfa for energy production is projected to generate significant quantities of ash. A study was conducted to evaluate the potential use of ash as a fertilizer using corn (Zea mays L.). Two soils representing diverse properties found in Minnesota were used. One was a Barnes clay loam with high K and low P and the other was a Hubbard sand with low K and high P. Treatments consisted of control, 220 kg/ha K, 34 kg/ha P, and 6 ash rates ranging from 450 to 15,000 kg/ha equivalent. Neither ash nor fertilizer application affected corn biomass in the Barnes soil. In the Hubbard soil some of the ash treatments performed as well as K fertilizer, however the trend was not consistent across ash rates. Neither ash nor fertilizer affected P concentration in plants grown in either soil, but plant K concentration increased with ash application. Exchangeable K in both soils increased with ash application. These result indicate that the alfalfa gasification ash is a potential source of K for plants.